Review: “Too Much of a Good Thing”
When you wake up old one day and have loved listening and playing music your entire life, you recognize any number of “watershed” moments which helped shape your musical tastes. One of my first recognitions of the sound I would chase most of my life called to me from Fontella Bass as she and that driving bass line called to “Rescue Me” in 1966. Not long after that, I first encountered the music and voice of one Riley B. King which was served as my gateway drug into the world of blues. BB opened up the door to may other of the blues greats and I could not afford to buy all the albums I would have like to have owned then.
In 1974 I was 22 years old and working in the scale house of a rock quarry when I would experience one of my greatest musical watershed moments. One of the drivers who came in regularly was a very fine fellow named Duke Hatfield, a man who did not like to shave or get a haircut regularly, much like yours truly. Duke was also a man of like blues and blues/rock musical tastes, unusual in that time in Eastern Kentucky.
One day after Duke pulled on the scale, he jumped out of his truck, came in the office, and told me that I just had to come out to his truck and listen to a great band he had recently discovered. I stuck my head in the window of his truck, as Duke played for me the track “Shot in the Head” from the album “Lion’s Share” by the British blues/rock band Savoy Brown. From the time I first heard that ferocious slide guitar in “Shot in the Head” until this very day, I have been among the greatest fans ever of Savoy Brown and their lead guitarist Kim Simmonds.
Simmonds, in my evaluation, is one of those guys like Alvin Lee that never received the international recognition that they should have received. But just like Lee, Kim Simmonds is someone who should never be underestimated by any of the guitar snobs of the world.
“Too Much of a Good Thing-The Savoy Brown Collection” is a re-release of a wonderful representation of the band’s work between 1992-2007. As a longtime fan, I would say that it is the perfect companion for the double CD “The Savoy Brown Collection-Featuring Kim Simmonds.” In these two sets you will get a very rich education into the music and magic of Kim Simmonds and his various lineups of the band.
Many amazing musicians filled the Savoy Brown lineup over the years. In 1970, “Lonesome” Dave Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens left the Savoy Brown to form Foghat. But all Simmonds did in response was to recruit for my money the best lineup to ever carry the Savoy Brown name. Paul Raymond (UFO), Andy Silvester, and Dave Bidwell all transferred over from Stan Webb’s “Chicken Shack” (Webb himself would later join Simmonds). Dave Walker (Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath) took over the vocals making this lineup enormously productive. In “Too Much of a Good Thing”, you will hear several other outstanding lineups of musicians, as Kim Simmonds always surrounded himself with great players.
There are 14 tracks on “Too Much of a Good Thing”, one previously unreleased. Whether blues, blues flavored rock, boogie, or straight rock Kim Simmond’s guitar is always the center piece. If he plays clean, you hear Clapton-aggressive and Rory comes to mind-processed and the power of Gary Moore explodes from his fingertips. Every track on this CD made a great addition to my personal collection and I am sure it will yours as well.
Kim Simmonds passed from this world to the next about 4 years ago. I hope that he left here with the knowledge that there were many other fans like me who deeply appreciated his love for what he did and the tremendous body of high quality work he left behind.
Duke Hatfield, 52 years have passed since that day in the quarry. I hope you are still around and have had a great life. I am alive and well and still enjoying that great music you shared with me. Thank you for sharing.
Savoy Brown-Too Much of a Good Thing
The tracks:
1. Going Down to Mobile
2. Little Wheel
3. Keep on Rollin’
4. That’s All I Want Baby
5. The Blues Keep Me Holding On
6. I Don’t Remember You
7. Flat Out
8. When It Rains
9. Yesterday’s Blues
10. Monday Morning Blues
11. Feel Like Crying
12. She’s Leaving
13. Where Has Your Heart Gone
14. Too Much of a Good Thing (Live)
Copyright © – Panache Records
2025 Tom Branson-www.bluesrockers.online